King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 51:35 Mean?

Jeremiah 51:35 in the King James Version says “The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabit...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 51 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. The violence: Heb. My violence flesh: or, remainder inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress”

Jeremiah 51:35 · KJV

Context

33

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come. it is: or, in the time that he thresheth her

34

Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

35

The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. The violence: Heb. My violence flesh: or, remainder inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress

36

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

37

And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. This imprecatory prayer calls for justice, invoking the lex talionis (law of retaliation) principle that violence returns upon the perpetrator. The violence done to me and to my flesh translates ḥamasi u-še'eri (חֲמָסִי וּשְׁאֵרִי)—ḥamas denotes wrongful violence, injustice, oppression; še'er means flesh, kindred, body. This combines legal (violence/injustice) and physical (torn flesh) imagery.

Be upon Babylon invokes covenant curses, asking that Babylon experience the very suffering it inflicted (Deuteronomy 19:19-21). My blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea employs dami (דָּמִי), meaning bloodshed, bloodguilt—demanding accountability for innocent lives. The structure parallels Abel's blood crying from the ground (Genesis 4:10) and anticipates Revelation's martyrs crying 'How long, O Lord... dost thou not judge and avenge our blood?' (Revelation 6:10).

This imprecatory prayer is not personal vengeance but covenant justice. Zion appeals to God's righteousness, trusting Him to execute judgment. Such prayers appear throughout Psalms (35, 69, 109, 137:8-9) and teach that victims should commit their cause to God rather than seeking personal revenge (Romans 12:19). The appeal is vindicated in verses 36-37 when God promises to 'plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee.'

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Historical & Cultural Context

This verse reflects the traumatic memory of Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The reference to 'my blood' recalls the thousands killed during the siege and conquest—soldiers, civilians, children. Psalm 137:7-9 captures similar anguish, cursing Edom and Babylon for their violence. For exiles in Babylon, this imprecatory prayer expressed legitimate grief and called for divine justice while they remained powerless to act. The prayer affirmed that God sees injustice and will ultimately hold oppressors accountable. When Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BC, the relatively bloodless transition might seem to contradict this prayer for vengeance. However, Babylon's destruction came gradually—first political conquest, then cultural assimilation, and eventually the city's complete abandonment and ruin, fulfilling verse 37. The prophetic principle endures: God avenges His people, though His timeline and methods may differ from human expectations.

Reflection Questions

  1. How do imprecatory prayers in Scripture teach us to process trauma and injustice while trusting God's justice rather than seeking personal revenge?
  2. What does it mean that 'my blood' cries out for justice, and how does this connect to Christ's blood that 'speaks better things than that of Abel' (Hebrews 12:24)?
  3. How should Christians today pray regarding injustice and violence—what is legitimate and what crosses into sinful vengeance?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 13 words
חֲמָסִ֤י1 of 13

“The violence”

H2555

violence; by implication, wrong; by metonymy unjust gain

וּשְׁאֵרִי֙2 of 13

“done to me and to my flesh”

H7607

flesh (as swelling out), as living or for food; generally food of any kind; figuratively, kindred by blood

עַל3 of 13
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

בָּבֶ֔ל4 of 13

“be upon Babylon”

H894

babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire

תֹּאמַ֖ר5 of 13

“say”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

יֹשְׁבֵ֣י6 of 13

“shall the inhabitant”

H3427

properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry

צִיּ֑וֹן7 of 13

“of Zion”

H6726

tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of jerusalem

וְדָמִי֙8 of 13

“and my blood”

H1818

blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshe

אֶל9 of 13
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

יֹשְׁבֵ֣י10 of 13

“shall the inhabitant”

H3427

properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry

כַשְׂדִּ֔ים11 of 13

“of Chaldea”

H3778

a kasdite, or descendant of kesed; by implication, a chaldaean (as if so descended); also an astrologer (as if proverbial of that people

תֹּאמַ֖ר12 of 13

“say”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃13 of 13

“shall Jerusalem”

H3389

jerushalaim or jerushalem, the capital city of palestine

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 51:35 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 51:35 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Revelation 18:20Jeremiah 50:29Revelation 16:6Revelation 6:10Matthew 7:2Judges 9:20

Places in This Verse

Babylon 1Settlement · Modern: Babylon · 32.54°N, 44.42°E296 verses across 15 books
ChaldeaRegion · Modern: Tell el Muqayyar · 30.96°N, 46.10°E85 verses across 11 books
JerusalemSettlement · Modern: Jerusalem · 31.78°N, 35.23°E955 verses across 37 books
ZionSettlement · Modern: Jerusalem · 31.78°N, 35.23°E148 verses across 19 books
View all places in Jeremiah 51 →

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